3.0

credits

Average Course Rating

Fundamental to nearly all of human social behavior – including the use of language, the development of complex societies and cultures, pretending and storytelling – is the understanding that others have their own thoughts, beliefs, and intentions guiding their behavior. This capacity for “mindreading” is known as theory of mind. This course will explore what it means to have a theory of mind. Are humans born with a theory of mind? Does theory of mind interact with other aspects of cognition? How and why did theory of mind evolve in humans? Are humans unique amongst animals in having a theory of mind? The course will examine basic concepts of the mind and intention in philosophy and psychology, and review research from psychology, cognitive science, and neuroscience on topics including the development of theory of mind in children, the relationship between language and theory of mind, neurological correlates of theory of mind, links between theory of mind and autism, and theory of mind in non-human animals.